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General => Armed Forces => World War Two => Topic started by: steveburton1000 on Thursday 12 July 18 15:04 BST (UK)
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I am looking for any details of the Royal Engineers 708th General construction company during WW2, particularly between September 1939 - June 1941, I believe they were in Greece from March 1941, and were at some stage on Crete during April - June 1941. Any information would be gratefully received.
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Welcome to Rootschat!
The period Jun 1940 - May 1941 is covered by two war diaries :
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_aq=708%20general%20construction&_ep=ENGINEERS&_cr=wo&_dss=range&_ro=any&_st=adv
although they are not digitised and would need you to visit or have them copied (expensive, don't embark on this without further advice!). The lack of a war diary before Jun 1940 suggests they may well have served at home up to that point.
There don't appear to be any records of the company at the RE Museum. Unfortunately, however valuable their services to the war effort, that type of unit does not attract as much limelight as the teeth arms, for example a quick look for information on the Battle for Crete mentions the construction of airfields but then concentrates entirely on the battle and I think that might be the experience looking at histories.
Others may have less gloomy suggestions.
MaxD
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Many thanks for this information, it fills in a couple of gaps for me.
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Hi Steve, My grandfather was in that company
He was Sapper WW2 - 1920910 Alexander B Ritchie (Alec) from Peebles, Selkirkshire, Scotland
My grandfather disembarked at Suez with the Royal Engineers 708th General construction company on 27 aug 1940. He was reported missing in Greece on in apr 1941. He was kept prisoner for the rest of the war.
From his international red cross info he was captured in Kalamata, Greece and appears on prisoner list 11 Apr 1941. Taken to Stalag 306 XVIIID then on to XVIIIB on 31 jul 1941
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Thank you very much for this information, this has added another piece to the jig saw around when the arrived in Suez. My Grandfather was involved In the defence of Crete and was MIA 28th April 1941, reported as a POW on 6th August 1941, he was in Stalag 383. Any other information about the 708 would be gratefully received.
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My father's Cousin, George Bisset, was a sapper in the same company, they were in the Middle East and Africa before going to Greece where he was wounded and captured on 2/8/41, he ended up in Stalag XVIII-A where there was a photo taken of him on 18/1/41.
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My Uncle, William Hendry Russell [Dovish] was Sapper 1989030. [1] Two dates were given for his going missing when he dived from the ship to avoid capture by Germans and [2] a few days later when he was killed on the run from German Forces. I have seen his Grave in Phaleron War Cemetery 14.A.9 . Was he on Balmoral at Piraeus where I stayed?
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I am still trying to piece things together in regards to his journey from the Suez to capture, so uncertain where he was captured at present, but from your information (Thank you) i would have an educated guess that he was captured at the same area.
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Have just come upon this thread.
My father was 1894600 Sapper J W Chadwick. He served with the RE in 708 Gen Cons Coy from 1940 to April 1941, when he was captured at Kalamata in Greece.
He enlisted with his brother-in-law (my uncle) on 1st April 1940. He was 1894601 Sapper W Mills. he also served with the same company. Prior to embarkation for Egypt in June 1940, they were stained at least part of the time in/around Margate. They sailed from Liverpool in Convoy WS1. A fast convoy of three ships comprising Queen Mary, Aquitania and Mauretania. I'm unsure of the actual date of arrival in Egypt.
I have no recollection of specific dates for their activities in the Western Desert. However, they were probably involved in Operation Compass in some way or other. Both recalled being at the outposts of Buq Buq, Fort Madalena, Fort Capuzzo. They were (it seems) with the Australians at Bardia, then on to Tobruk and Derna. What (if any) actual construction work they undertook during this period I have no idea. They were then sent to Greece in March 1941. I have no information as to what or where they served there. The only information I have is that my dad told of two events. Being left on the beach as the last ship sailed, and being told to 'fix bayonets' in some ill-conceived plan to attack the Germans. That order was rescinded and he and many others 'went into the bag'. Eventually he was sent to Stalag XVIIID at Marburg and in 1942 to Stalag XVIIIA at Wolfsburg. He was separated from my uncle after becoming a PoW. My uncle finished up in Stalag 383 (Hohenfels). Currently I do not have my dad's service record, as it appears Covid is slowing processing of these to a snails pace. I hope in due course I will get them.
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Hello and welcome to rootschat.
You wrote
They sailed from Liverpool in Convoy WS1. A fast convoy of three ships comprising Queen Mary, Aquitania and Mauretania. I'm unsure of the actual date of arrival in Egypt.
Although records of troopships are always sketchy due to security concerns, It would seem AQUITANIA and MAURETANIA sailed from Liverpool 28/29/6/1940 and QUEEN MARY from Greenock on the same date.
After arriving in Freetown the Admiralty decided that rather than risk three large troopships in the Red Sea where the Italians had easy access to air bases, the vessels were diverted to Ceylon
arriving 29/July/1940
The troops were then transferred to North Africa via smaller vessels, some even traveling by train via India!
Read chapter 4 of the book "The Winston Specials" by Archie Munro available from Maritime Books Liskeard PL14 4EL or your local library. ISBN 13: 9781904459200 There are are several documents concerning Convoy WS1 in the Admiralty series in the British National Archive.
Your dads service record may tell you the date of his arrival in Egypt. When you finally receive it. Make a post on the WW2 board. There are several people there who will be able to interpret it for you.
I guess you have seen this.
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C16668267
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Many thanks for the info on WS1. I'll definitely follow that up. I know that he embarked at Liverpool some time in June 1940. Thanks also the link to NA PoW record card. I do already have that information via Ancestry, though. All help much appreciated. Cheers.
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For those who might still be following the fortunes of 708 Company RE.
Here is a link covering the memories one of it's members, Spr. G. Maclean.
https://ww2greekveterans.com/greek-veterans/macdonald-to-oneill/maclean-gilleasbuig/
There are four different pdf files that can be read/downloaded.
I have recently actually obtained (second hand), his autobiography (The Long, Long Years) covering his service. Written in a conversational style and following a general timeline, the story meanders back and forth somewhat, and can be a little frustrating to follow at times.The content is good, but readers should be prepared for some quite uncomplimentary, and critical comment on some of his erstwhile comrades and their officers. Most are not named, and has he admits to changing some names anyway, so only general impressions of his version events can be gleaned. However, that aside, anyone wishing to get a more detailed view of the activities and lives of the company in general will probably find it an interesting read. It was well worth the £4.15p I paid for it.